


Spy and Don’t Tell

by teencosplays



Series: Spy Society [1]
Category: Gallagher Girls Series - Ally Carter
Genre: AllyCarter, Gen, NextGeneration, spys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-03 22:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19193572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teencosplays/pseuds/teencosplays
Summary: Boys. Why does all of life problems have to involve boys? For Z Goode, this is all she is able to think about her first semester as a sophomore at Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Youmg Women.  It's not like her brother wasn't enough of a thorn in her side, now she has one more boy. And that boy being an ordinary boy who can never know the truth about her. Honestly, why couldn't Z not have looked so ordinary?





	1. Chapter One

Okay, I don't know how to really start one of these so I'm just going to start it like how I planned. My name's Z. That's it. Just Z. It's not a nickname. It's just Z. My mom thought it would be a good idea to let my dad name me since he named Morgan, my brother. She clearly never thought that him naming me would end up with the curse of the explaining that Z is my name and not a nickname to just about everyone who asks if it's short for something.

I guess I should I explain who my parents are. My mom is Cameron Goode and my dad is Zachary Goode. Yes, the CIA legacy duo Cammie and Zach Goode. Speaking of legacy, Grandma and Grandpa Joe is also CIA legacies. So is Great Aunt Abby. Aunt Bex is MI6. Aunt Liz is the smartest women in the world. To make this explanation simple, my whole family isn't a normal family. They're spies. So I don't really get the normal "birds and bees" talk. I get the "spy and spy" talk. (And from what I can tell, the spy and spy talk is a whole lot better.) 

Now there's a reason why I'm writing this. Mom and Dad are always going on about how the paperwork after missions are always a pain and that I should get the practice while I can. That's why I'm writing this. For the practice and not for the five dollars Dad  is going to give me when I finish this because he bet that I couldn't...

Anyways, now that the explaining is out of the way, let's get to the whole beginning of sophomore year and what happened. And the best way to start that would be for me to start from the beginning right? And by beginning I mean starting from what happened on the last few days of summer at the safe house. 

"Z get off the counter!" Grandma yelled as Grandpa Joe and Mom did a very nice pass of a card during their poker game with Dad, Aunt Bex, and Uncle Jonas. 

"But I can see everything going on from here." I said winking at Mom and Grandpa Joe as they smirked. 

"Z, listen to your grandmother." Dad said taking a swig of his beer. I sighed a soft 'whatever' in Farsi as I hopped off the counter and walked over to Morgan who was currently arm wrestling with Lexi. I guess I should mention that Lexi is Aunt Liz and Uncle Jonas's daughter who's also my best friend. Oh and Lexi is easily described as a tiny little ninja warrior who can and will beat your butt. I guess that's why it wasn't a surprise to me when little Lexi smiled in my direction and slammed my brother's arm against the coffee table making everyone jump and almost breaking the table. 

"Lost again, Morg?" I teased sitting on my knees next to Lexi. 

"I let her win." Morgan said defending his manly-ness. 

"Keep telling yourself that." Lexi said patting his hand that was still laying on the coffee table. She then got up, pulling me up with her, and walked into the kitchen as Grandma called us for dinner. I sat in between Mom and Lexi, as always, as the food that never looked all that good went around the table. As we scooped the food that we had to eat or we would go to bed hungry, we made small talk that went from English to French to German to Farsi then back to English. Again, this is not you're normal family. 

"So, Mom," I started as Aunt Bex and Grandpa Joe discussed a recent trip with Dad and Aunt Liz. "What cards did you and Grandpa Joe trade?" I asked quietly in a teasing fashion. Mom picked up on the tease seeing that she smiled. 

"Well Z, I would tell you, but then I would have to kill you." Mom joked stabbing one of my broccoli pieces off my plate with her fork and eating it. I rolled my eyes at her. 

"Just tell me, Mom. Did it happen to be aces and threes?" I put my elbows on the table and propped my head onto my hands as I looked at her with knowing eyes. Mom took a sip of her drink before asking me how I knew. I smirked at her. "Spy." I pointed to myself just as Aunt Bex was saying something about one of my professors having a fit if she saw me with my elbows on the table and Dad saying that's my girl with a proud smile and a thumbs up in my direction. Dad then added a I-have-no-idea-what-you-guys were-talking-about-I-just-know-that-I-heard-you-say-spy-so-that's-my-girl. We laughed at Dad's cluelessness just as we heard the door to the safe house open and close. We all immediately became quite as all the adults besides Aunt Liz grabbed their knife and got ready to attack whoever was there because honestly, would you really trust Aunt Liz with a knife to defend her self? Like seriously, she may be the smartest girl in the world but she was made to be in a lab. 

"Morgan, take the girls up to your room using these stairs and whatever you do, don't leave until one of us comes get you." Grandma said. Morgan nodded as the three of us stood up quietly and made our way up the kitchen stairs and to Morgan's room because if Rachel Morgan tells you to do something as a CIA agent and not as a grandma, you do it. Then again, you should do what she says as a grandma too but being told to do something by her as a grandma you get some room to joke around and not do it. We got into Morgan's room and sat on his bed as Morgan locked the door. He sat in his desk chair and just kind of stared at the door. 

"Morgan, what's going on?" I asked after a few minutes of quietly sitting on Morgan's bed while playing thumb wars with a semi distracted Lexi. 

"Nothing. It's completely quiet downstairs. Well, besides the sound of things being thrown in the living room." Morgan joked trying to lighten the mood. I glared at him which only made him clear his throat and turn back to the door. "Right, no time for joking... Got it... No joking of the house being ransacked." 

"Morgan what's really going on?" Lexi asked. Morgan shrugged. 

"I just told you. Nothing. It's completely quiet. It's like they just left." Morgan looked at us with a soft expression. He opened his mouth to say something but the door handle giggled for a few seconds then stopped. The three of us were now on our feet and ready to defend ourselves. We heard a soft click of the lock then the door opened to reveal Dad with a soft smile. I let out the breath I've been holding as I ran up to hug him. He let out a soft chuckle and hugged me back. 

"It's alright guys. It was just Abby and Townsend." He said but didn't let go of me and to be honest, I didn't mind. "But you guys should go to bed. After all, you guys are going to spend the rest of the time at school so you guys should get to sleep so you'll be rested for the trip to school." We nodded and Lexi slid past us and went to my room across the hall. Dad did a cowboy walk into Morgan's room since we were still hugging. He closed the door behind him. "Morgan you know about this year being that year for your sister. Make sure that no boys flirt with her." Morgan laughed as I looked between them confused. 

"Don't worry, Dad. I highly doubt boys will flirt with Z when they find out she's a Goode." Morgan joked. "After all, I heard we are quite a handful." 

"Okay, well I'm confused so I'm going to go." I said breaking out of Dad's arms and walking towards the door. To my surprise, they let me leave and go to my room. Now my room is actually semi normal for a teenager. There's posters of singers that are popular and make up by the mirror. The walls are a vibrant color making the room look more like one of those rooms you find on Pinterest or Instagram. But the thing that makes it semi normal would be that if you look on the under side of the bed there's a box full of spy stuff. There's some bottles of various things like truth syrup that Aunt Liz gave to Lexi who gave to me. I also had a taser and a few other odds and ends that I've snuck out of the attic over the years. 

Now I don't know how normal teens would react to finding their best friend laying on the floor by the air vent but I know that they don't join them and ask what the adults down stairs are talking about. And I'm also pretty sure that said best friend doesn't reply to the answer with a made up language, just in case that the adults decided to pull a, as they call it, Z and Lexi and listen to us. 

"Lexi, I'm not sure if we should do this. I mean, it's spying." I said standing up and walking over to my bed after a minute or so of listening to our family. Lexi rolled her eyes at me, joining me on my bed. 

"Z, downstairs is a table with highly trained, and really awesome, spies. Okay? Two of them being your parents, two of them being your grandparents, one being our non related aunt, and one being your great aunt. Now if you haven't connected the dots yet, I will for you. Those people are spies. Spying is in our blood. I'm pretty sure we should be doing that." Lexi said with a shrug. "Now if you want you could sit on the stairs and not only hear what they are doing but also see what they are doing because, ya' know, you are kind of attracted to shadows and blending in with your surroundings."  Lexi walked over to my dresser and grabbed the bag of nail polish that sat on the corner opposite of my bag of makeup. She walked back over to the bed, sat down, picked out a pink nail polish, and start painting her nails. I sighed and stood up. 

"I don't know how you do it, Lex, but you sure do know how to get me to do something that could get me grounded." I said before walking out of my room and to the stairs to watch a table of spies play poker.


	2. Chapter Two

PROS AND CONS OF YOUR FAMILY BEING HIGHLY TRAINED SPIES. A LIST BY Z GOODE.

PRO: They can do really good brush passes

CON/PRO: They tend to have a feeling of someone spying on them when there's someone spying on them.

PRO: They tend to talk about classified information when they think you're asleep. 

CON: They talk about classified information in a different language so it takes a moment to translate what they are saying meaning you're about two to three sentences behind on what they are saying. 

CON: If one of your family members picks up on you being there, they all pick up on you being there without a single word spoken. 

-

"Z, you might as well just come here into the light. We all know you're there." Grandpa Joe said rearranging his cards. I walked into the kitchen with an innocent smile as I walked over to Grandpa Joe's chair and leaned on the back of it. 

"Honestly, Z. You should know better then to spy on spies." Aunt Abby said passing a card to Dad.

"Yes well you see, I come from a family of spies so it's only in my nature to spy." I said with a smile. "By the way Mom, Dad, that brush pass of those aces and kings was a good move, but I would have traded threes and jacks." My parents glared at me as I mouth the word halo to them and pointed to above my head. 

"Well I think the whole go to bed statement was not a suggestion." Dad said. "As in Z, go to bed." 

"Aw, you're no fun." I pouted as I walked up the stairs and back to my room. I walked over to my bed and plopped down next to Lexi who didn't need to say a word to let me know that I needed to tell her everything. "For spies who are great at brush passes, they aren't great at brush passes while playing poker." I said. Lexi glared at me as if to say that that is not what she meant by spill. I ignored her glare and climbed into bed. She sighed and did the same. A few minutes of having a staring contest later, we both fell asleep. 

-

The limo pulled into the driveway in front of the Gallagher Mansion. I looked at my parents who smiled at me then to my grandma who was already climbing out of the car. I followed her and as soon as I was out of the limo with my bags they drove off to wherever my brother's school is. I fell into step with Lexi who came out of nowhere as we walked up to our room. 

"So, you ready to start our sophomore year?" Lexi asked as we got to our room. She threw opened the door and rushed to her bed. I rolled my eyes at her childish behavior. Then she started snoring. Like actual full on snoring. I sighed, walking over to her, and pulled the blanket over her. To be honest, I don't blame her for falling asleep. We got up pretty early to make sure our bags were packed and to say bye to our parents and to go on a morning jog so we could miss breakfast so Chef Louis can make us breakfast. (Don't tell Grandma.) I walked down the empty halls of the mansion that will be full of girls a few hours from now tomorrow. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew that I wanted to walk around the place I call home seeing I never really stayed in the same house long enough to call it my home. I finally stopped walking when I got to the P&E barn. Since I was already in clothes I could work out in, I did exactly that. It's a great way to let off steam and clear your mind. I guess that's why I plugged in my iPod to the speakers and started playing my music. I guess that's why I pulled my bright red hair back into a pony tail and wrapped my knuckles in the special tape as I walked over to the punching bag. 

I guess that's why I didn't realize Dad was standing off in the shadows watching my every move till I was pinned to the ground. And I guess that's why I also didn't realize Mom was sitting up in the rafters till I was pinned to the ground. 

"What is this? Spy on Z day?" I joked as Dad got off me and helped me to my feet. Instead of taking his hand to get up, I pulled him down onto the ground next to me. Mom laughed till she fell off the rafters and on top of Dad who pushed her off so she was next to him. 

"Honestly, Zach, she's your daughter. How did you not see she was going to pull you down onto the ground?" Mom teased propping herself on to her forearms. Mom and Dad started bickering about what happened till I interrupted Dad mid sentence. 

"Okay, don't mean to be rude, but shouldn't you two be in Buenos Aries?" I asked standing up and grabbing my iPod from its spot on the shelf next to the volume control for the speakers. 

"No, actually. We should be helping Bex in Russia but she found an old friend to help her out so she doesn't need our help as of the moment." Dad said still laying on the floor. 

"Okay and? That still doesn't explain as to why you are here. In my school's P&E barn." I crossed my arms over my chest and popped out my hip. 

"Since we don't need to be helping Bex out in Russia yet, we decided to spend the last day of summer with our lovely daughter." Mom said answering the question as she sat up. 

"Okay, again. Why me? Why not Morgan? I'm pretty sure he would love to spend the last day of summer at who knows where he goes to school at." Mom and Dad were now up on their feet with their arms around my shoulders as we walked back to the mansion.

"We spent the last days with him last year." Mom said as Dad opened the doors of the mansion to reveal Grandma giving them a glare that could kill. (She probably could if she wore the right glasses or contacts. 

"Cameron, Zachary, you should know better then anyone not to sneak onto the mansion property." Grandma scolded. I stifled a laugh and wiggled out of my parents arms and next to Grandma. 

"Mom, Dad, it's awesome you want to spend the last day of summer with me but I have to finish an essay for COW... So bye!" I rushed up the stairs to my room on the third floor that must have been an attic at one point long ago where my best friend was sleeping. Well, that was till I burst threw the door and started telling Lexi everything that happened moments ago. From the point where I was just wondering around to the point where I lied to my parents about COW homework, Lexi listened to every word. When I was finally finished, all Lexi did was nod her head. 

"I can't believe you forgot what day it was." Was all Lexi said. "I can't believe I forgot and just fell asleep." I looked at her confused and thought that she hadn't heard a word I said. Then she pulled out a box that was only a little bit bigger then a box for a pair of shoes or backpack. It was wrapped in Happy Birthday wrapping paper with a perfect bow on top. I face palmed my self when I saw it. 

"No wonder they're here and not with Morgan. They must have found out about my little rant about last year." I took the box from Lexi and ripped off the bow and paper to reveal an Anderson Co box. I looked at Lexi with a raised eyebrow but she just continued to smile giddily at me as a way to tell me to continue opening the birthday gift. I took of the lid to the box and took a look inside. It was a backpack that was a bright blue and fluorescent pink color. I opened the backpack only to find a pair of black tennis shoes with the same bright blue and fluorescent pink for the laces that were on the backpack.

"The backpack is fire, water, explosive, dirt, bullet, and electric proof. The shoes are the same." Lexi explained. "I think. I don't know. It's been a while since my parents told me what they were-proof." 

"Thanks so much Lexi! You'll have to remind me to tell your parents thanks as well next time I see them, okay?" I said giving her a hug. She nodded when we pulled apart. "I should probably go tell my parents I lied to them so I could get out of their hugs because I forgot it was my birthday." I stood up from my bed, put the backpack and shoes down on the bed, then walked started walking back down stairs to where my parents were. As soon as I left the third floor, I ran into Mom.

"Hey, I was just coming to talk to you." Mom smiled. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. It was obvious that I took her by surprise but I didn't care. 

"Thank you." I mumbled into her shirt. Mom let out a laugh. 

"For what?" She asked. 

"For you and Dad deciding to spend the last day of summer with me." I looked up and her and smiled. "It's the best birthday gift I could ever ask for seeing I wouldn't see you for a long time." She kissed the top of my head like she does and whisper a Happy Birthday Z before the two of us went to go find Dad.


	3. Chapter Three

"I highly doubt Mr Dobber would give us a pop quiz on something as simple as what we did over the break, Kat." Lexi said to our roommate who was currently unpacking and letting beginning of school rumors get the best of her. I nodded in agreement. 

"We were just bugging his classroom a few minutes ago to find out if we have any tests this month. So far, not one so you shouldn't be panicking." I added, leaning back on my desk and crossing my arms over my chest. "So don't listen to any of those rumors about Mr Dobber having tests."

"Okay but what about the rumor that Ms Riley retiring and us having a new Covert Operations teacher? I mean I do not want to start CoveOps with a teacher who was never here till now." Kat stated. Lexi and I both rolled out eyes at the girl who looked more like Aunt Liz then Lexi. 

"We just saw Ms Riley when we were scoping out Sublevel One yesterday. She's going to be our teacher for CoveOps." Lexi said. 

"Actually, she's not." Jo Peters said standing in the door way. "With my lovely ease dropping skill, I was able to over hear Mrs Morgan talking to the CoveOps professor. And it wasn't Ms Riley. Then again, I'm not sure who it is. I didn't get to see their face." Kat turned to me and Lexi and pointed at us. 

"I told you Ms Riley retired!" She yelled. 

"Then why did we see her?" Lexi accused.

"She's here for the seventh graders' orientation. After that she's just going to be her little old self and retire. Probably get a nice house on the beach in Florida. Her search history is full of places in Florida for her to live." Jo said. 

"Jo, we're heading down to the Grand Hall now that Kate's done unpacking." Lola James said popping her head into the room. "Oh hey guys! Excited for CoveOps this year?" She asked us. We nodded as the two girls left the room. 

-

"Kat would you stop worrying? I'm sure you'll be the new CoveOps teacher's favorite just like in every class." Lexi teased as Kat fixed her silverware again.... For the fifth time.

"Oh shut up. I would not be worried if it was any other class. Like I could deal with a new teacher in Advanced Encryption but this is Covert Operations. This is the closest thing to field work. We could get really hurt in this class. That's why I'm worried." Kat explained. I noticed her leg was bouncing more then normal when she's worried. 

"Kat, you're not worried. You're terrified." I corrected with a slight laugh. "Just relax. Everything will be fine. I'm sure the teacher will be just as skilled as Ms Riley and will teach us everything we need to know." I smiled at her and she returned it. Next thing we know, the teachers and my grandma are walking down the center and towards the front where they stand behind a table. Grandma stood at the front behind a podium as she begins her speech but I wasn't paying attention. I was to busy counting the seats (twenty one) and the teachers (twenty). Whispers started to go around the table wondering who the seat was for till the doors opened up again and the one person I would never expect walked in. The room was silent as her shoes made a clicking noise against the floor. Besides the clicking of the shoes, you could hear my grandmother sigh. 

"Sorry I'm late. Hope I didn't miss too much." She said with a smile. 

"You couldn't have been more settle?" My grandmother asked. "Did you have to do what Joe did?" She shrugged and took the empty seat at the end of the long table. As Grandma finished her speech and sat down without another word from the woman, the whispers started.

"You know who she looks like? She looks like-"

"Don't Kat." Lexi and I snapped at our roommate. 

"Okay I won't finish my sentence. Just tell me why?" Kat asked. 

"Because it is her." Lexi said. Kat gasped and looked at me as I gave a nod. 

"Hey Z, that person looks an awful lot like you–minus the hair. Is she like an older sister or something?" Jo asked leaning over the table to look at me. I shook my head no. 

"Is she a cousin? Or an aunt?" Again, I shook my head no. 

"What about a-" Jo didn't finish because Lexi just glared at her and hissed. 

"She looks like Z, we get it. But Z doesn't have any blood related sisters or an aunts besides for her great aunt, and trust me when I say that's not a long lost sister she never knew." Jo put her hands up in defense and went back to eating. I pushed my plate away and stood up. 

"I suddenly don't feel like eating. I'll see you guys upstairs." I said then walked out and up stairs to the third floor.

-

"How did you not know that your mom was going to be teaching CoveOps?" Kat asked. I spit out the toothpaste that was in my mouth before answering. 

"I just didn't. They never talked about it. They never even mentioned it." I said walking out of the bathroom as I pulled my hair into a bun. "And trust me, if they did, I would tell you guys." There was a knock on our door making all our heads turn to find Lola peeking her head in. 

"Jo is putting the movie in now. We are all waiting." She said. 

"Thanks Lola but we're going to skip movie night tonight." Lexi explained. "We want to be fully rested for CoveOps tomorrow." Lola nodded and left closing the door behind her. Kat was next to go into the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. Then it was Lexi. As Lexi was brushing her teeth I stood up from my bed and walked towards the door. 

"Where are you going?" Kat asked. 

"To get answers." I walked out of the door and down stairs to where the Hall of History is. My grandma's office door was cracked and the light was on so I pushed opened the door to find Mom and Grandma talking. 

"Look its not my fault! Joe was the one who told me to do it! Want to yell at someone, call him up and fuss at him for suggesting such a thing to his step-daughter!" Mom yelled. Grandma huffed then noticed I was in the room. 

"Z, what can I help you with?" She asked like a headmistress would ask and not like a grandmother. 

"Oh I was just wondering why you didn't bother to tell me you were going to be my CoveOps teacher." I said looking Mom dead in the eyes. "Cause normally when a mom gets a job as a teacher at their child's school, they tend to warn them and their friends a few months ahead of time instead of walking into dinner a few minutes late like 'yo what's up? I hope I didn't miss anything important. I got held up somewhere.'" 

"Aw, look at that. She's embarrassed that I'm her teacher. She's going to be even more embarrassed next week." Mom said patting my head then looking at Grandma who simply nodded in agreement. 

"Go to bed, Z. You're going to have a very busy day tomorrow with it being the first day back." Grandma said practically pushing me out of the office and slamming the door shut. 

"Wow, love you too Grandma." I mumbled, rolling my eyes. I walked back to my room only to find Lexi fast asleep and Kat typing away on one of her many laptops.

"What did they say?" Kat asked not looking away from her laptop. I slipped under the blanket and started adjusting my pillow. 

"Nothing. I was ranting and then my mom said something like how I'm going to be even more embarrassed next week. Then I was pushed out of the room." I said. Kat spun around in her desk chair and slid over to me. 

"Did anything look new in the room? They pushed you out so they must have been talking about some sort of secret. Please tell me you saw a uh a top secret file on your grandma's desk or a uh a red folder under the sofa pillows." Kat said with this expression that could have only been one of a genius figuring something out. I shook my head no. Everything looked the same in the office.

"What about a folder with a place or code word you never heard of?" Lexi said sleepily. I thought back to the office I've been in just minutes ago. I started shaking my head no till I remember seeing something. 

"There was a folder on the coffee table with the word Blackthorne on it. Could that mean anything as to why they pushed me out?" I asked. Kat snapped and slid back over to her laptops. 

"Blackthorne you said?" Kat asked. I mumbled a yeah in reply. "Get Jo. Ask her if there could be a spy school like this but for guys." I sighed and climbed out of bed and doing exactly that. 

"A spy school for guys? There could be. I overhear my mom and dad talking about it sometimes. I think they mentioned a black thorn but I couldn't be to sure. After all, when I over hear it's normally in the middle of the night when I'm tired." Jo said. I nodded and thanked her before telling Kat what she told me. 

"There was a Blackthorne. In Maine. It exploded back at the same time Gallagher was just finishing it's rebuild." Kat said. 

"Great. Your grandma and mom are talking about a what? School? Prison? Detainment facility? It sounds like a detainment facility." Lexi said now interested in this conversation. "So you're grandma and mom are talking about a detainment facility that blew up after your mom and dad graduated. So what? What's so classified about it? It blew up! It went boom!" 

"There's more." Kat started reading what she found again. "There's another Blackthorne. It's a military academy though. Nothing special. Just that they take the outcasts and boys that have nowhere else to go." Kat spun around and made her way to her bed where she plopped down under the covers. "Looks like they were just looking for a place to send Morgan or something like that. I don't think it's anything we need to worry about." 

"Then why push me out of the room?" I asked at the same time Lexi asked "then why push Z out of the room?" but Kat didn't hear it cause she was fast asleep. Lexi and I exchanged looks and laughed. Kat has always been one of those people who fall asleep as soon their face hits their pillow. Lexi and I both laid back down and drifted off to sleep without another sound.


	4. Chapter Four

I had butterflies in my stomach loads of times before. But standing outside the mirror and waiting for the lights in Gillian Gallagher's portrait behind me, Kat, and Lexi to flash green was a whole different kind of nervous butterflies. The mirror finally slid open and the three of us stepped into the elevator and made our decent down to Sublevel One. When the door slid open, we walked out of the elevator and walked to the classroom at the end of the hall and to the right where the light was coming from.  Well, that was till bags went over our heads.  I honestly don't know what happened next. All I know was that instincts kicked in and I was fighting the attacker. Just to summarize what happened (because I honestly don't know what happened myself) I ended up losing and being thrown to the ground with handcuffs on. The bag that was on my head was removed and I took a look around. We were in a classroom. Lexi was next to me and Kat was behind us. The rest of the class was sitting on the floor in groups of threes and fours with handcuffs on as well. I huffed. As the sound of footsteps approached and in front of my class stood my mom with a smirk. 

"Welcome to Sublevel One. I'm sure that you girls were not expecting an abduction, correct?" She said we all nodded not really knowing what to say. "That was to show that out in the field things will come at you without you expecting it. Peters, how many guys do you think had to carry you over here?" 

"Three?" Jo answered. 

"Is that a question or a statement? Anderson, same question." Mom said. 

"Uh, four." Lexi said. 

"How many of you had a hold of Ms Peters?" Mom asked the security guards. One raised their hand. "And Ms Anderson?" Two raised their hand. "Goode, how many do you think hand to handle you?" Mom squat down in front of me. 

"Depends, are you counting yourself? Cause if not then one. If you are then two." I answered. Mom smiled a half smile. 

"How many had their hands on Goode?" Mom asked. Half of the guards hands were raised. Mom shrugged and raised her hand as well. "Sorry Z, just couldnt help myself." She seemed to say even though she didn't say it. 

"This is not a cake course. This week we will be going over simple things like counter surveillance and brush passes. Next week is when we will be going over the things that will help you and your partner stay alive out in the field. Class dismissed." Mom said then started walking out. 

"But we-" Miranda Davis started to say before being cut off. 

"Still have forty five minutes of class left, yes. I know, Ms Davis."

"Ma'am? Do we have any homework?" Frankie Walter asked as one of the guards took off her handcuffs. 

"Yes. Notice things." Mom said looking straight at me. I stood up and rushed up to my mom. 

"Mom, wait. You don't tell me you're my teacher, you let us out early and give us the weirdest homework assignment ever." I said stepping in time with her. 

"Your handcuffs are still on, Z. Do you need help with that?" She asked but didn't stop walking. I handed her the handcuffs that were now off. 

"I'm good. Dad and Aunt Bex been teaching me how to get out of handcuffs for a while now."  I said as the two of us stepped into the elevator and headed back up. "Now answer my question. Oh and another thing, what was Grandma doing with a folder labeled Blackthorn? Kat searched it up and it was blown up a long time ago."

"It wasn't that long ago. I just graduated when it blew up." 

"Mom! Just answer the question!" 

"You'll find out soon. I promise." She patting my head then walked out of the elevator and towards who knows where. 

"Not helpful." I mumbled as I stomped out of the elevator and towards the COW classroom to meet up with Lexi and Kat.

-

Normally I would look forward to dinner on Friday nights, mainly because Chef Louis makes the best desserts ever. Only for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to eat anything. I don't know if it was the nerves of the first week back or the five tests I've been given on things we learned the past years. I just knew that tonight wouldn't be the normal Jo Peters movie night with the rest of the sophomore class. 

"Z, you're not starving yourself, are you?" Kat asked in a hushed whisper even though no one could hear her if she did talk normal with how loud everyone was being. 

"No, Kat. I'm not. I just have a lot on my mind." I smiled at Kat to assure her that I'm not doing such a thing. 

"Aw, is someone just nervous because Jo is letting me pick the movie tonight?" Lexi teased beside me. I rolled my eyes at her. 

"No. I could care less about what movie you pick." 

"Then what's wrong? You haven't even touched your food." Kat asked as Lexi nodded. 

"It's just my mom said something about me being even more embarrassed next week and now it's Friday I'm nervous about what my mom has planned for us." I stabbed a piece of broccoli and ate it as Lexi said something about not being worried and Kat said something about its probably nothing. "But it's my mom guys. Lexi you spend pretty much every summer with my family. You know how my mom is. And Kat, you know her well enough to know that everything my mom plans is not nothing. How can you guys be so cool about this? She has something planned for us and this whole week we've been going over counter surveillance and how to detect a tail. Don't you guys find that a little funny? And when I asked her about why there was a folder with Blackthorne on it in my grandma's office she just ignored the question." 

"Lexi, Kat, Z mind if I join you?" Mom said sitting down already knowing the answer would be yes. 

"Aunt Cammie, can you please tell Z that she's worried about nothing and you're not going to make us do anything crazy next week?" Lexi asked. Mom just glared playfully at me. 

"Z, what have you been going on about? Is it about that Blackthorne folder that you saw? Cause honestly, sweetie, it's nothing. We were just checking out something that didn't add up." She said brushing my red hair out of my face. 

"Well you could have told me that instead of ignoring the question." I huffed. Grandma then decided to appear behind me and Mom. 

"Girls, I need Cam for a moment." Grandma said pulling Mom up from her seat next to me. 

"What's this about?" Mom asked. Grandma started walking away without an answer to her question. "Mom, answer the question. What's this about?"

"Now that I think about it, Cam you should come after you ate." Grandma walked out as Mom looked at me. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Not fun being on this side of the question, huh?"


	5. Chapter Five

It wasn't the fact the my mom put a note on the mirror saying class wasn't going to be in till seven o'clock that night that made the entire sophomore CoveOps class to start making rumors about my mom's class. It wasn't the fact my mom had on said note on the mirror saying that the sophomore CoveOps class should be in comfortable clothes with comfortable shoes to make the sophomore CoveOps class wonder if there was going to be running involved. It wasn't the fact that on the stick note my mom had on the mirror saying that it would be cold so wear your jacket that made the sophomore CoveOps class wonder what the heck my mom had in store for us that Wednesday night at seven o'clock because honestly, I'm not sure what started the rumors about my mom's class or what made us wonder if there would be running or what made us wonder what the heck my mom had in store for us. But I can tell you what made the sophomore CoveOps class go to the library and study for that class (Madame Poppy's quiz on Spain's customs when dinning with royalty).

When in the library with seventeen of your sisters studying for a quiz, it  normally doesn't involve Jo coming up to you and asking multiple questions about why CoveOps is not until seven o'clock and everyone listening in because when seventeen of your sisters need and inside loop they all look straight at the headmistress' granddaughter and, now that my mom is the CoveOps teacher, the CoveOps teacher's daughter for answers. 

"Look guys, if I knew what was going on and as to why we were told to be in the foyer at seven, I would tell you. Honestly, I would." I said. "But I have no clue so I can't." I went back to going threw the flash cards Kat made for me. Everyone went back to what they were doing but Jo who just sized me up. 

"Z, the look in you're eyes says you know something, or at least think you know something. And thinking you know something is better then not knowing anything. So spill." Jo begged. 

"Jo, she just said she doesn't know anything. Stop pushing her." Lexi snapped. Jo looked at Lexi, then Kat, then me before going back to her seat and continuing to "study". 

"I swear people just don't understand the meaning of nothing." I mumbled as I wrote down one of the things I don't necessarily have pat down. Kat nodded and Lexi sighed. 

"Hey, Kat, what did you get for number two on the homework?" Lexi asked leaning over to look at Kat's paper. We may not be normal but sometimes spies have their normal moments like studying and getting answers from friends and movie nights.

-

"Kimmy said that she over heard someone say they were going out to Roseville and that there's going to boys. So with that in mind, what should I wear?" Lexi asked standing in front of her closet. I rolled my eyes. 

"You're seriously going to take what Kim say? Cause I heard Jessie saying that we're going to take a private tour of the White House." Kat said. And again, I rolled my eyes. 

"Just wear whatever you think is comfortable. My mom said comfortable shoes as well so there may be running." I said as I laced up the Anderson tennis shoes Lexi gave me for my birthday. I fixed my hair into a ponytail and grabbed the school issued coat everyone got. "I'll see you girls downstairs." 

"You're not seriously wearing that, are you?" Lexi asked looking over my outfit. I looked down at what I was wearing, black leggings and an American flag printed tank top. I nodded slowly confused as to why Lexi is acting like I'm wearing a garbage bag. "I mean there's nothing wrong with it, it's cute. It's just we have no idea where we're going. We could be going to the White House and there could be boys so I'm just wondering why." I rolled my eyes at her and headed down stairs to where a group of girls should have been already forming. 

"You were about to be late. Where's Lexi and Kat?" Mom said looking at me as I pulled on my coat. 

"They're being girls." I said as if it was obvious. 

"And the rest of your class is doing the same, right?" Mom asked. I nodded and took a seat on the steps next to her. "I missed being a teenager and having worries about what to wear on my CoveOps assignments. Then again I was like you. Not really caring as long as I was in comfortable clothes. Macey was the one who always insisted on all this designer things like five inch boots." I let out a light laugh as foot steps started to sound like a stampede. "You girls are late. Come on. No need to be even more late." Mom stood up and started walking outside. We all followed her to the helicopter that sat waiting for us. We climbed in and the copter took off. After a few minutes of being in the air my mom pulled out blind folds and told us this was not a sight seeing trip before putting them on us. More time passed and we started to descend. We switched from the helicopter to a van and drove for another fifteen minutes before Mom held up what looked to be a map of somewhere and tossed it to me. She then climbed out and closed the door to the van behind her. 

"What does it say?" Sam asked. I opened the map and looked to the place that was circled. 

"'There's no place like home. Nine o'clock. Tail free. Pairs of two. Don't be late.'" I read. 

"What does that suppose to mean?" Kim asked crossing her arms. 

"It means we need to be at the Wizard of Oz place at nine without a tail." Jo said as if it was obvious, which it was. 

"Does that mean there's going to be friends of your mom following us around DC?" Kat asked, fear obvious in her voice. I opened the van door and looked out. 

"Oh yeah. Welcome to DC." I said climbing out with Lexi on my heals. As soon as we got out, Lexi looped her arm through mine and said that we should probably hurry before the tails find us. Lexi dragged me away just as everyone went their own way with their partner. Lexi and I walked around for a good ten minutes before she started complaining about her feet.

"Why did you let me leave the mansion in these boots? They are killing me feet! Literally!" Lexi complained as we waiting for the crosswalk light to change. 

"Didn't I clearly say wear comfortable shoes? Even my mom said to wear comfortable shoes." I said looking around. There was a man in a blue jacket that I could have sworn was yellow five minutes ago walking towards us. "Hey, let's go this way. I think I see someone." I dragged Lexi away and down the sidewalk towards the Washington Monument. I grabbed a mirror that I had in my coat pocket and used it to look behind me. Sure enough blue jacket switched his jacket around so it was yellow and started to follow Kat and Jessie who were walking past the space museum. 

"Is he still following?" Lexi asked pulling me across the street. I shook my head no. 

"He switched his jacket back to yellow and followed Kitty and Jumping Bean." I said, snapping the compact mirror shut and putting it back in my coat. "I think we're clear." 

"Great! What time is it again?" 

"Seven fifty five." 

"And we don't have to be there till nine?" I nodded to Lexi's question. "I suggest we do a little sight seeing. Yeah?" 

"Would if we could but we can't so we shan't." I said and nodding my head to another tail, this time a lady who was in a jogging suit when she passed us as we got out of the van. 

"Your mom better take us shopping one day to make up for all the tails." Lexi said as we merged into a group of school kids. 

"I know right? Like I get that this is probably a test or whatever but still." Lexi and I laughed as we continued to walk with the group of kids, only to merge again with another group going to the metro a few minutes later when we noticed another tail. The two girls in front of us were giggling and looking back to people behind us. 

"What so funny?" Lexi asked, clearly wanting to know. 

"Oh it's just those two guys back there keeps following us and we think they might want our numbers." The blonde said. Lexi and I took this chance and turned around and noticed that the tail was still on us. I nodded. 

"You should talk to them." I said at the same time Lexi whispered in my ear that we should split up. 

"You think so?" The brunette asked with hope in her eyes. I nodded as I left and headed towards the elevator while Lexi continued to walk down the platform. I hit the button to the elevator multiple times till someone came up and joined me in the wait. The doors finally slid open and me and the boy walked in. 

"You're shaking." The boy said breaking the silence. 

"I am? Didn't notice." I lied. I've been shaking since we left the other girls at the van. 

"What does that crest on your jacket mean?" The boy pointed to the Gallagher crest. 

"It's my school crest." I explained as he red the words Gallagher Academy. 

"Gallagher, huh? Guess that makes you a Gallagher Girl." The boy smiled. 

"Look, I'm really nervous and this elevator is going to slow. Not to mention I have twenty minutes to meet up with my teacher and the rest of my class or I'm going to have to walk back to my school so if you don't mind, I would love if you would shut up." I snapped to the boy. 

"How do you know you have twenty minutes? You're not wearing a watch." 

"My friend told me." Silence followed my sentence. The elevator dinged and I was the first to step out as I rushed outside and towards where I needed to go. 

"You should let me walk you. After all, it's pretty late and you could get mugged." Elevator boy said with a shrug. 

"The exhibit is right in that building and there's a cop right over there. I think I'll be fine." I said pointing to the cop and the building. 

"Still it could be dangerous. I'll bet you twenty bucks the cop won't do anything if you got mugged." 

"Look, I'll be fine going to the Wizard of Oz exhibit. My teacher and my classmates will be there. Why don't you just go off and find your friend that you were walking with, yeah?" I said when we got in front of the building but elevator boy didn't back down as he followed me up the front steps. "Look here boy, if you don't stop following me I'm going to scream and get the attention of that cop and when he asks what's happening and why I screamed, I'll say you're trying to rape me so I'm warning you now to go back to your friend and leave me alone. Got it?" 

"Right, got it." Elevator boy backed away with his hands up as I walked inside and towards the exhibit. Once there I took a look around and noticed no one else was there. 

"You're five seconds late." Mom said behind me. I spun around on my heal and faced her. 

"But I'm tail free." I pointed out. "Where's everyone else?" 

"You're not though and I'll tell you on the trip back." Mom said I looked at her confused till Elevator Boy stepped out from around the corner. 

"Hey Gallagher Girl." He smirked. Mom looked at him then at me as if she had be in this situation before. I was confused as to why he was here but then I realized he was one of the tails. But he's to young to work for the CIA? Does that mean he's a Blackthorne Boy? Oh my god, they must have rebuilt Balckthorne.

"Howdy, Blackthorne Boy. I thought I told you to leave me alone?" I said putting a hand on my hip and popping it out.

"Oh wait till your father hears about this." Mom laughed wrapping and arm around my shoulder. 

"Wait... She's your mom?" Blackthorne boy asked. 

"See I would answer that but we have to get back to Gallagher and I'm sure you should be getting back to Blackthorne, don't you think? After all, it is past curfew for us girls." I smiled at him as Mom and I walked away to where the rest of the class must be.


	6. Chapter Six

The ride back to school was quiet, well as quiet as it could be with helicopter blades making noise. It was mainly quiet because in the van Mom told us the only person who didn't get caught by a tail was Kat. Like seriously, the girl who plans on sitting behind a desk or being in a lab for the rest of her life made it without a tail. How does that happen? When the helicopter landed, everyone started to run out and inside the mansion. 

"Okay girls, go straight to bed. We'll talk about tonight tomorrow in class. Peters I said go straight to bed not straight to the kitchen!" Mom looked over her shoulder at Jo who was trying to sneak into the kitchen. Jo mumbled something about her having eyes in the back of her head only for my mom to pretend to kick her when she walked past. I started going up the stairs with Lexi and Kat before Mom told me to stay behind and to follow her. I told Lexi and Kat that I'll see them in our room as I followed Mom to the Hall of History. 

"Just to let you know, I'm speaking to you as a teacher not a mom when I say if that was a real op you could have killed Lexi. And Kat. You could have killed everyone." 

"I know..." I looked down at the ground as the two of us walked outside Grandma's office. 

"No, you don't know. But that's why you're here. You're here to learn so when it comes time and it's a real op you don't kill everyone on your team." She took a deep breath as she hopped onto the window seat outside Grandma's office. "Now the mother in me wants to go sneak you out into town using one of the passageways and go get you ice cream and tell you a story of how I did the same thing when I was your age." My head shot up and I looked at her as if she was joking. She smiled and slid open a book case. 

"Wait you're serious? Cause I would love that." I smiled and followed her down the dark passageway to the outside. We walked out of the mansion grounds and towards Roseville. I smelt the carnival before I could see it. We walked past the carnival though and towards the Addams Family Pharmacy. Mom held open the door for me and I walked in with her following. 

"I'll be with you in just a minute." Said, I'm guess, the newest Addam who took over the pharmacy. Mom sat down on a barstool and waited patiently as if she had snuck out of school and done this before. I sat next to her just as someone with black hair walk out from who knows where and over to us. His hair was fading to grey, it was obvious. "What can I get for you girls?" He asked. 

"Two ice creams please. Both chocolate." Mom said. The guy nodded and started scooping out the ice cream into little paper bowls. 

"So what are you doing back in Roseville, Cam?" The guy asked. As he handed me my ice cream then went to scoop her's. 

"Oh I'm teaching now over at Gallagher. Decided to sneak out with Z here to get ice cream and just enjoy a night out." Mom said. The guy nodded and handed her the ice cream. I looked at the two as if I was missing something. Then Mom's words from her first day in class came rushing back.

Notice things. 

"How much do I owe you?" Mom asked. Pharmacy guy waved off the question. 

"On me. You know? Enjoy the carnival." Pharmacy guy walked away to go organize the shelves as Mom got up and left without another word. As I followed her out she then quickly turned back inside just long enough to say something. 

"Thanks Josh. See you around." Mom yelled then walked away before he could answer.

"Okay forget the story of what you did when you were my age, who was that?" I asked. 

"Oh sweetie, I would tell you but you're not a high enough clearance level to know the whole story." Mom said patting my back. 

"Then tell me how you know him." 

"He's an old friend." Mom said then sighed. "And dang did age catch up with him." 

"Who's an old friend?" Dad asked next to me.

"Wow Dad. No hi? No how's school so far? No sorry we didn't tell you your mom was going to be your teacher? You know one day I'm going to graduate and leave you and you're going to miss spending time with me." I said. Dad looked at Mom as if I've been this was since the first day and Mom just laughed. 

"We were over the the pharmacy and Josh gave us ice cream so she was wondering who he was." Mom explained to Dad who nodded. "Oh! You would not believe what happened during their op!"

"What happened?" Dad asked as Mom threw away her now empty ice cream cup. She then laced her arm threw his. 

"So it was the same as when we had to do it, right? Z and Lexi were amazing at spotting their tails who were older then them. Then came the metro. Did the exact same thing Bex and I did. Split up and agreed to meet back at the ruby slippers. Z took the elevator and Lexi did who knows what." Mom started to explain. Half way threw she started to laugh. "And then after Z and her tail got off the elevator and started walking to the meeting place, Z kept saying how she would scream and tell the cop how he was trying to rape her. It was truly the best." 

"What happened when she figured out he's a Blackthorne boy?" Dad asked stealing my ice cream and starting to eat it. 

"Well first he called her Gallagher Girl, ya know? Then she called him Blackthorne Boy. It was truly adorable. God, I wish you could have seen it, Zach. It was like watching us meet." Mom rested her head on Dad's shoulder. I rolled my eyes at the way Mom was acting when I noticed a boy leaning on a park bench in the center by the dunk tank staring at me. Normally I'm one for disappearing in the shadows and blending in like a chameleon. I guess that's why I had a feeling I was in the spotlight and wherever I went, I would still be in the spotlight. I just wouldn't be able to blend in or find the shadows if he was staring at me. 

"Hey Z, want some extra practice before we head back?" Mom asked standing beside me and looking where I was looking. 

"Yeah, sure." I turned and looked at her and noticed Dad has disappeared. 

"That guy who's staring at you? Get his name and number." Mom seemed to have some sort of plan going on in that genius mind of hers but I couldn't figure it out. 

"Only for practice right?" I asked. "No alternative motive?" Mom nodded. 

"Just practice." And with that I started walking towards the boy staring at me from the park bench by the dunk tank.


End file.
